Winter Bike Commuting Gear

This isn't the first winter that I have ridden my bike through but it has certainly been the harshest. I have learned a lot over the past few months and I felt it was time to pass that knowledge on.

In North Eastern Arizona we can have harsh winters but unlike here in Rexburg, Idaho we always get a break. We often struggle more with the thick clay filled month that results from a melting snow fall than we do with the ice and snow that seems to cover the roads (and everything else) permanently around here.

In 2011-2012 when we were up here before the winter behaved much like it does in Arizona with weekly snowfall and weekly snow melt. It was off and on and we were told shockingly mild for this area. Last September I was prepared with my old coat coupled with layers underneath, my winter gloves, wool socks and safety glasses just incase the snow actually came down while I was riding.

This worked great to keep me warm but my gear was so bulky that I didn't have any place to put it once I got where I was going and it was often too warm with little room for adjustment.

Over the Christmas break I was able to find several peices of gear that allowed me to be comfortable well into the negative temps but also was light enough to stuff into my backpack  and thin enough that I could mix and match layers to fit the temperature. After all of that trial and error here is the clothing that keeps me warm, dry and comfortable regardless of the low temp.

• Columbia OmniTech Waterproof shell- This blue jacket is completely wind and water proof, It hood incase of rain and it's roomy enough to fit insulating layers underneath. It also has adjustable wrist and waist cuffs to adjust airflow as needed. This shell can take me to 35F with just a T shirt underneath quite easily.
• Layers - For temps below 20F I pair the Columbia shell with an Addidas fleece hoodie that I found at an outlet store. This takes me down to -10 and could probably go lower with better gloves. For temps above 20F I pair the shell with a light weight longsleeve running shirt made of a very simple tech material.
• Gloves are the hardest thing to get right, my green/yellow Bontrager gloves are incredibly comfortable but will only really take me down to about 30F. I put another simple fleece/cotton glove over the Bontrager gloves and depending on the humidity can reach -10 comfortably. It's important to just try out different combinations and to avoid anything that is too tight.
• Columbia Balaclava - This covers my ears, neck, head and face and just really helps to shelter me from the cold. I often ride with my mouth and nose exposed but during especially frigid times it's nice to be able to cover everything. Some condensation does collect when the nose is covered but it is not excessive due to the venting that Columbia provides.
• Bolle Ski Goggles - Even with sunglasses or safety glasses wind and snow still like to make their way underneath to irritate the eyes and since sunglasses are fairly low profile these days they also hinder the field of view. The goggles help to keep the eyes and forehead protected from the wind and comfortable so that sight is not a challenge. Since the goggles are also very wide they do not obstruct the normal field of view. I chose to use clear lenses because I often ride at night and in generally low light conditions. If you ride in bright sunsine on snow for a long time you will want more UV protection but by going with the clear lenses my night vision is as good as it can be and that's important.

I have a choice between riding a mountain bike and a cyclocross bike and as long as there is snow on the roads I choose the mountain bike. The cross bike tends to sink into the ice and snow especially when the temp rises into the high 20's and this knocks the tires around causing a serious safety concern. The cross bike is awesome and it can do it but the mountain bike turns a challenging obstacle for the cross bike into something you don't even notice. The wide tires help it to float on the snow much better and the slackened position makes losses in traction much easier to control I don't use studded tires and have yet to have a problem but if you have the extra cash laying around they aren't a bad idea. There has been a few times when the right conditions turned the soft snow into glass ice. Spending more time sliding than rolling isn't exactly how you want to get around.

As you can see winter biking gear need not be complicated. I have seen a huge improvement in my grades and I have been able to maintain a positive outlook throughout this dark winter by getting out in the fresh air and getting the blood flowing.  I pretty much never go hard but all too often I have rolled out of bed not wanting to go anywhere and by the time I get to school I'm excited and ready to learn. There is a significant amount of research to back this up and it's a shame that more people don't get to experience this on a daily basis. 

The best part about bike commuting is that at least in my situation it is significantly faster. By the time I scrape off my windsheild, drive to the parking lot after sitting in traffic, and finally walk all the way to class I've spent almost twice as much time getting to school by driving intstead of riding.